Globe-Gazette from Mason City, Iowa • 3

TV THE GLOBE GAZETTE "IT Jane Reynolds, City Editor JfH 1 VW Tfk Page A3 jane.reynoldsglobegazette.com Monday Casey's, Music Man Square plans go to City Council By PEGGY SENZARINO Of The Globe Gazette Reporter's Notebook Paroo's porch: a timeline May 1998 that led to the issuing of a building permit for the museum complex. The original design, which was approved as part of a planned-unit development (PUD) zoning classification, called for the complex to be "architecturally compatible" with the rest of the neighborhood. In July, the foundation submitted a drawing of the facade, which it calls the "Paroo Porch as part of the plan. The foundation now wants to scrap the idea of the facade in favor of erecting a statue of Meredith Will-son. Representatives of the foundation have appeared before the Planning and Zoning Commission twice seek- -ing changes that would allow for construction of the statue.

One request was withdrawn; the second was defeated. The foundation is appealing to the council to overturn the decision. Council members will also consider rezoning approximately one acre of land at the corner of 12th Street Northwest and Pierce Avenue from agricultural to neighborhood commercial for construction of a new Casey's General Store. The Planning and Zoning Commission approved the measure last week. The City Council is to consider hiring Iowa Appraisal Research Des Moines, to appraise the 29 properties located in the proposed Northbridge Urban Renewal Area.

The contract totals $47,995. The Northbridge project involves moving the Fareway grocery store to the block now occupied by Calvary Alliance Church at Fourth Street Northwest and North Delaware Avenue. An area including the old Decker Sporting Goods store and properties west of Decker's have been earmarked for development and other retail outlets. The City Council meeting begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Mason City Room of the public library.

Reach Peggy Senzarino at 421-0532 or peggy.senzarinoglobegazette.com MASON CITY A proposed design change for The Music Man Square, rezoning for a new Casey's store and approval of a contract for appraisal services in connection with the proposed Northbridge Urban Renewal Project will come before the City Council on Tuesday night. The council meets at 7 p.m. in the Mason City room of the public library. The issue regarding The Music Man Square is whether the Mason City Foundation can go against provisions of an agreement reached in By JOHN SKIPPER Of The Globe Gazette The City Council is expected to consider Tuesday whether to allow a design change in the $10 million Music Man Square JOHN project. At first glance, the issue seems to be whether the Mason City Foundation should be allowed to erect a statue of Meredith Willson on the east side of the property rather than build a facade of a front porch the "Paroo Porch" as was planned originally.

The Planning and 'We gather together for a Thanksgiving tradition SKIPPER By JULIE BIRKEDAL Of the Globe Gazette fASON CITY Friendly people age 55 and over filled the Mason 2ity Senior Center Sunday Taylor Brierly-Althof, 5, of Mason City pours water for Maurice Lane, Manly, at the Thanksgiving dinner held by Lutheran Brotherhood and the Mason City Senior Citizens Center on Sunday. JUUE BIRKEDALOTm Globe Gazette afternoon to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner. "We expect to serve between 500 and 600 people," said Louis H. Althof, district representative for Lutheran Brotherhood. The fraternal organization has sponsored the free annual dinner for 14 years, said Ron Miller, president of Lutheran Brotherhood Branch 8875.

The dinner has been co-sponsored by the senior center for the past several years. "It's a way of giving back to the community," Miller said. "That's what Lutheran Brotherhood does." An estimated 30 volunteers, including many young people from churches and youth organizations, helped serve the meal. "If you start counting the people who actually cook, suddenly you've got 60," Althof said. Holding the dinner the Sunday before Thanksgiving gives people a chance to volunteer and to have a community meal while still enjoying a family holiday on Thursday, Althof said.

To feed Sunday's crowd, 20 25-pound turkeys, 200 pounds of ham, potatoes, dressing, dinner rolls and pumpkin bars were prepared, said Kelly Hutcheson, senior center director. Mason City businesses donated or contributed many menu items at reduced prices. i "Last year, it was stormy," said Donna Schmidt of Nora Springs, who began attending the dinner several years ago when it was held at the Stein Inn. "It was blowing and cold and snowy." Maurice Lane, Manly, said he and his wife, Betty, passed up a dance at Carpenter to come to the holiday dinner. "Ill do anything to get out of cooking," Betty Lane said.

Elaine Cannella, Mason City, pointed out that she sees people at the dinner whom she's known for years but doesn't see often any more. "I enjoy the people, the company and I love the food," she said. Although there is no charge for the dinner, some people feel compelled to give, Althof said. Donations go toward various maintenance projects at the senior center, Hutcheson said. This year, the center plans to put the money toward new carpeting and painting.

Reach Julie Birkedal at 421-0535 or julie.birkedalglobegazette.com Early direction led to life in show business Zoning Commission has twice rejected the foundation's attempts to eliminate the porch from the plans. Commissioners say their concern is over the integrity of the process rather than whether a porch or a statue be built. Here's the background. In May of 1998, the commission recommended and the City Council approved a planned-unit development zoning classification for the museum complex. One of the provisions of the agreement was that the structure be "architecturally compatible" with the neighborhood.

The east side of the building is on Pennsylvania Avenue facing the Mason City Public Library, but is on the side of the street that has many houses and apartments on it. In July of 1998, the foundation submitted a drawing of the "Paroo Porch" as part of the plan. Brad Chapulis, who was an assistant city planner at the time, approved the design as being in compliance with the agreement. A building permit was issued based on the plans and drawings that the foundation submitted. Earlier this year, The Music Man Square opened without the required certificate of occupancy being issued, city planners said.

When Tim Benetti, Chapulis' successor, pointed this out to foundation officials, a meeting was set up to talk about it. Benetti said it was around this time that it was discovered that the "Paroo Porch" had not been built. The foundation had discarded the porch idea and instead has made plans to erect a statue of Willson on the east side of the property. Since that is a change from the original plan, the foundation needed to come back to the Planning and Zoning Commission to get its approval. In 1998, Chapulis thought the porch conformed with the key language of the ordinance, the "architectural compatibility" part.

In October, the foundation asked the commission to agree that dropping the porch from the plans would still keep the project within the scope of the PUD zoning agreement. When Ted Enabnit, the foundation's lawyer, saw during the commission meeting that there weren't enough votes for approval, he withdrew the request. This wasn't sour grapes it was a strategic move to keep the foundation's latest plans alive. Had the commission rejected the change in plan, the porch would have remained a requirement and the foundation would have had no further recourse. Instead, the foundation came back last Tuesday and asked that the language of the ordinance be amended so as to allow the foundation to eliminate the porch.

Again, the commission balked. But rejections of ordinance changes, unlike rejections of plans, can be appealed to the City Council. So both sides have had their way. The commission didn't want the process sidestepped. The foundation used the process to move the discussion to the next level.

Now it is up to the City Council to decide. John Skipper covers government and politics forThe Globe Gazette. You can reach him at 421-0537 or e-mail him at john.sldpperglobegazette.com Retired director Senensky, among MCHS honorees, credits local schools for shaping career. By DEB NICKLAY Of The Globe Gazette today. Today's directors don't keep themselves away, in fact, they're taught not to.

They're taught that everything is about the film, nothing is about the actors." He recalled directing one "Waltons" episode with legendary character actress Beulah Bondi, an effort that later earned the late actress an Emmy and Senensky a good friend. He said he counts Bondi Retired TV director Ralph Senensky (left) chats with (from left) Ben Wiedemann, Sarah Wiedemann and Erika Eckburg after the Distinguished Alumni Award banquet Sunday at The Music Man Square. DEB NICKLAYThe Globe Gazette jjLfr, Other honorees: MASON CITY Ralph Senensky tried out for his first theater play 50 years ago at Mason City High School. "The play was 'Seven I wasn't cast, but I wanted to be involved," he said. "So I became an assistant to the director, Miss (Myrtle) Oulman." It was Senenskjrs first taste of the stage and it quickly developed into his life's passion.

After a stint as director of theater in Mason City and Des Moines, he moved to California to earn fame as the director of more than 150 TV shows, including "Star Trek" (not his. favorite), "The Waltons" and "Dynasty." Senensky, 78, and five others were in town Sunday to receive the 2001 Distinguished Alumni Award from MCHS. They were recognized during a banquet at The Music Man Square. Senensky paid tribute to local schools for shaping a career of a lifetime. "Standing here tonight, I look back at that 17-year-old, and I can't think of a less likely candidate than me for having done what I've done," he said.

He credited Oulman, his first teacher, for being his best. "She just opened the door," he said. "My career has been exciting and exhilarating. Everything I have done since then is hung on the style she taught." And he has done much. After serving a stint as production supervisor for such early live shows as "Playhouse 90," he served as a freelance director of an array of TV shows over the past 40 years.

His favorite work came on episodes of "The Paper Chase" and "The Waltons." "They were shows about real people, about family," he said. He said Oulman's instruction was invaluable. "It was very precise, very traditional direction, that keeps the director out of the way of the production," Senensky said. "We need more of that who he said is known by too few of the present generation among the best actresses of the age. He does not have the same affection for TV today.

The man who directed such noted shows as "The Fugitive," "The Naked City," "Route 66" and "Mission Impossible," said he couldn't care less about today's channel offerings. "I never watch TV," he said. "There is nothing to watch. I don't like the material, I don't like the gimmicks. We need to get back to shows about people, and about values." Although retired from TV, his work is still being appreciated.

Two teens sought his autograph Sunday evening. They said they enjoy the TV shows now seen on classic channels. "Thank you so much for your work," said Erika Eckburg. "You did such wonderful shows." Senensky was enticed to return to theater direction recently after a 13-year absence. He directed "The Accomplice" at a Carmel (Calif.) theater and enjoyed it so much that he plans to do more.

"I wasn't sure about doing it, but it turned out very well. The old war horse," Senensky said with a grin, "hasn't forgotten." Reach Deb Nicklay at 421-0531 or deb.nicklayglobegazette.com Donovan Haxton, Class of 1959: Senior research specialist at the Hubble Space Telescope Operations Control Center; did launch maneuver analysis for Voyager I and II missions, and served as launch mission coordinator in the flight dynamics group for 1 3 space shuttle flights. Johanna Biebesheimer-Nichols, Class of 1963: A highly respected authority of languages and the 1994 winner of the Leonard Bloomfield Award for her book, "Linguistic Diversity in Space and Time." Eva Wiedemann-Eckburg, Class of 1970: United States Air Force surgeon general's chief military consultant for physical therapy and the associate chief Biomedical Sciences Corps for Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy. Tim Krieger, Class of 1984: After earning high school and college wrestling titles, Krieger held coaching posts at Iowa State University, the University of Northern Iowa and St. Thomas University in St.

Paul. Today, he is a motivational speaker and president and co-owner of Twin Cities Trading and Fairway Dairy in Apple Valley, Minn. Tami Wiegmann, Class of 1990: Pediatric physician at the Pediatric and Adolescent Clinic of Mason City. She is a member of Reach Out and Read, a reading program established at the University of Iowa Department of Pediatrics..